Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1887-05-27
TRAITS OF HORSES.


of horses and their characteristics for
years and who is the owner of a num-
Der of fine animals, was shown an item
that has been going the rounds of the
press about a horse becoming insane.
II do not believe there is any such
thing as insanity among horses" he
said. "a horse may become wild and
unmanageable from pain, such as the
toothache, or because of cruel and
brutal treatment or fright, but it is only
a temporary affection. But l will not
deny that many horses are natural
fools. | have in fact seen many such on
which there was no dependence, and a
characteristic of which is the taking up
of mouthful of hay and tossing it
about, making frequently no Roadway
in eating. Such horses show no affec-
ton, and stranger can drive
them as readily as one who has
handled them for years, which is not
the case with an intelligent horse
One thing that makes horse nervous is
these fancy curb bits, which hurt horse
considerably, and | attribute a great deal
of this so-called viciousness to these con-
trivances. No, sir; | do not even be-
lieve in natural viciousness in a horse
To illtreatment this is all due. Take a
high-strung, nervous horse, and it does
not require much ill-treatment to make
him vicious. | have. seen horses and
owned them which would be perfectly
gentle in harness and in the stable, but
tie moment they would see me take up a
stick or a whip would at once seem to
change their dispositions and try to
jump upon me and otherwise do me
harm. Out West this summer / came
across black horse which had killed
three men, and which worked six mates
to death He was worked twelve years
day and night on stage
coach. He would trample both
men and his mates to death the moment
they came near him. But he
was ill-treated, brutally treated, all the
time. Why, every time they put har-
ness on him they would keep him goad-
ed with a pitchfork so that he trembled
With fear all the time. 1t was quite a
sight to see him harnessed. After the
harness was snapped about him heavy
rope was tied about his neck and then
he would be dubbed over the head
and backed out of the stall. Then
the rope would be thrown over a beam
and the men would take the bride and
club him with it on the head so as to
stun him before they could get it on
He was large, powerful animal, and
fine looking. Yet to-day that horse is
rs gentle rs kitten. Why so? Be-
cause he passed into other hands from
whom he received kind treatment, that
was all he needed.
81 have a light sorrel horse named
Row''v, which l have owned about two
years lie was very high strung and a
notorious runaway when got him The
man who sold him to me confessed that
no impression could be made on the
horses mouth. | began with gentle
treatment and letting him know | was
his master, and drove him with
straight bit. At the start he kicked
straight out the traces. Now he is sub
dued and gentle, and the moment |
speak to him he obeys and will come
everywhere to me at the sound of my
voice. He has a trait that causes much
amusement. We allow him to run in
pasture with mate. Rowdy was al
ways a great fence-jumper, but his mate
was not on the start. When together
Rowdy would leap fence, and then
seeing his mate decline to follow, would
at first coax by jumping over it several
times back and FORTH and at last. seeing
this would not succeed, would begin Bit
ing the other one and pushing it with
his nose until he compelled it to Jump
''While West | noticed that frequent
ly horses are guided the same as oxen,
without reins, and that it is very easy to
teach them to obey in this way 1t is
like everything else about horse-let
him have confidence in his master and he
will do any thing. | saw an odd in
stance of balky horse out there. 1t
was in Michigan. and he was attached
to a light buggy. The horse was very
large, and would weigh LOO to 1880
pounds. They were on level, and
after going about eighty rods the horse
stopped short and would not bulge.
He was beaten, knocked and whipped
but without avail Then yoke of cattle
was brought up and chained to
the horses neck. That horse was
dragged half a mile by the cattle, and
then was as stubborn as at first He
was finally left alone, and, after stand
ing seven hours, started up all right of
his own accord. The trouble is that
when horse gets balky people lose
their tempers, and this only makes
matters worse. The only sure remedy
for a balky horse is to blindfold him by
bandaging his eyes. never knew this to
fail, as it seems to take away the ami
mails attention from the subject over
which he is stubborn N y Nail and